business school graduate insights

Business School

Graduate Insights

Georgina Andrews (Director of Southampton Solent Business School)Caroline Carpenter (Director of the Research and Information Unit) GA

‘Employers, education providers, and youth live in parallel universes’ (McKinsey & Company, 2012.)

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Project Structure

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Survey Instrument

Demographic informationEmployability skills developed on courseActivities on course to prepare for employmentExtracurricular activitiesChallenges on starting first job after graduationStrategies for overcoming challengesAdvice to Universities

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Responses

418 eligible responses from 17 universities.Two universities accounted for 397 respondents. Respondents came from 161 UG and PG courses.The most commonly reported year of graduation was 2009 with 101 respondents.

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The vast majority of graduates (91.6%) felt that it is very important or essential for university courses to prepare graduates for employment.

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ActivitiesBusiness games/simulation Business pitchConsultancy project CV writingEssay writing Extra curricular activitiesGroup work Guest speakersLive client brief Mock interviewsNetworking PresentationReflection Report writingResearch Role playUsing IT VolunteeringWork placement Working with people Other (please specify) from different cultures

Which activities on your course provided the MOST useful preparation for employment?researchpresentationswork placementworking with people from different

culturesreport writinggroup workusing IT GA

Which activities on your course provided the LEAST useful preparation for employment?Essay writingVolunteeringBusiness games / simulationsRole PlayExtra curricular activities

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30% of graduates said they didn’t take part in any extracurricular activities

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Biggest challenges faced by graduates:

adjusting to work life (e.g. early morning, 25 days holidays.)

adjusting to organisational culture

lack of work experience

finding a job

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These challenges were overcome by:

working hard

networking

asking for advice/helpCC

Advice to universities when developing courses:

work experience

career advice

practical application of knowledge

industry knowledge

networking

guest speakers

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http://www.wordle.net/create GA

What next?

How can we develop:

Networking skillsRelevant work experience Real world learningCreativity and innovationApplication of numeracy and ITBehavioural skillsLearner perceptions

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Key references

Andrews, G. & Russell, M. ,2012. Employability skills development: strategy, evaluation and impact’. Higher Education, Skills and Work Based Learning, 2 (1), pp33-44Browne, J. (2010) ‘Securing a Sustainable Future for Higher Education’. An Independent Review of Higher Education Funding and Student Finance [online] [viewed 18 October 2010]. Available from: www.independent.gov.uk/browne-report Mourshed, M. Farrell, D. & Barton, D.,2012. ‘Education to employment: Designing a system that works’. McKinsey& Company. [online] [viewed 19 January 2013]. http://mckinseyonsociety.com/downloads/reports/Education/Education-to-Employment_FINAL.pdf

Key references ( contd)

Purcell, K., Elias, P., et al 2012. Futuretrack Stage 4: transitions into employment, further study and other outcomes.’[online] [viewed 18 February 2013]. http://www.hecsu.ac.uk/assets/assets/documents/Futuretrack_Stage_4_Final_report_6th_Nov_2012.pdf Thomas, L. and H. May, 2010. Inclusive learning and teaching in higher education. Higher Education Academy [online] [viewed 19 January 2013]. http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/assets/documents/inclusion/InclusiveLearningandTeaching_FinalReport.pdfWilson,T. (2012) A review of business–university collaboration. HEFCE [online] [viewed 19 January 2013] http://www.hefce.ac.uk/media/hefce/content/news/news/2012/wilson.pdf